Donald's Holly Jolly Christmas
by Master Pencil
Summary: Donald Duck may sometimes be a Scrooge when it comes to the holidays, but when he goes to save The Disney Christmas from a naughty plot, he learns that it can be quite an adventurous season.
1. Chapter 1 Donald's Christmas Troubles

**Donald's Holly Jolly Christmas**

**By Master Pencil**

Chapter 1 Donald's Christmas Troubles

It was that time of year again. The breeze brought a Christmas air with them, and the people were walking down the street saying hello to people they knew and everyone they met. Everyone was prepared for the Christmas season with plenty of sprit. In fact, Mickey Mouse brought up his Christmas tree as soon as Thanksgiving dinner was done. The many toons of Disney had all planned for a great gathering for the holiday season in tribute to their creator, Walt Disney, and the power of a wish upon a star. The beginning of this season could only be the day of the great madness of Black Friday.

The shopping extraganza was no less hectic in Toontown, where the mall was swarmed with normal shoppers and a few Disney characters mixed in. They stood outside the doors with a bundle of energy all packed inside them ready to explode. There was so much tension that the employees tried their best not to open the door so soon for fear of being trampled to death. But there was no stopping the clock from ringing at the mall's opening hour, and here they came. When push came to shove, these people certainly knew their exercise. It didn't matter if they had to be spring boarded off a trampled victim or a stampede got in their way, these shoppers zeroed in on their target item and set their sights on that alone.

One person finally got a hand on a fancy teddy bear only to find another had grasped it. What does this fool think she's doing? This teddy bear is mine! She jerked it away from the other person and took off to the next item, but she realized who it was that she rudely took it from. Daisy stood rooted to the spot with frustration clearly shown on her face, and now Minnie Mouse wished she hadn't come out on a day like this.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I didn't know that was you Daisy! I can't see a thing in that crowd!"

"It's no big deal Minnie," she replied. "I'm just upset that Donald refused to come with me."

She was correct after all. Donald Duck had always been infamous for his distaste for the hectic side of the Christmas season. To him, the perfect formula for a time spent in winter was to sit at the cozy fireplace and drink a steaming cup of hot chocolate. It was a combination not easily beat, but often times Mickey and the gang would press him to join them in their time spent out in the cold, snowy world where the Christmas sprit could be best felt. It was hard to do, but they were usually successful in winning him over into their cheer every year.

He felt safe and relaxed at his home; chuckling over all of the stress those crazy shoppers had put themselves into as he sat on his chair in front of a cozy fireplace with his steaming hot chocolate. Those crazy palookas, this was the life right here. The hot chocolate poured down his bill and into his soothed stomach. That felt good. There was no way he would get out his chair and go outside, not on a day like this.

There was a knock at his door. Donald scowled and reluctantly rose from his chair to waddle over to his front door to open it. He found Mickey and Goofy standing there in their coats and scarves, not surprised to see Donald adorned in his bath robe.

"Hiya Donald!" Mickey greeted. "Can ya come with us to the mall tomorrow?"

Donald rolled his eyes, not hearing what he just heard. As if tomorrow was going to be any better than today! People would flood the stores and bump into him. Then there was the noise and how much his webbed feet would hurt. No way.

"No!" he snapped. "I'm gonna stay here and sip my hot chocolate!"

"Aw, come on Donald!" said Goofy. "Think of all of the fun we can have!"

"Huh, "fun" to you, but not me!" Donald replied.

Unfortunately for him, Daisy was hiding behind them, staring at him like a hawk. Donald growled, for he knew he couldn't win against her.

So now he was forced to join the shopping spree tomorrow. Just great, now the cold will try to snap him and people were going to bug him until he would go off. As much as he wanted to squabble at everyone, he remained quiet, but he looked ahead at the busy shopping mall before them with an unimpressed look. Here comes the survival test.

Babies were crying and people nudged him as soon as he entered the stupid building. Worse yet, they had come into a clothing store, so Donald balked as he made past snobby women and unruly toddlers. For reasons Donald felt was beyond comprehension, Mickey and Goofy were enjoying themselves. No normal person would treasure this trek of annoyance.

The hall of the mall was crowded to Donald's expectations. Girls with massive shopping bags and kids that were off in their own little world danced around people squealing and harassing. Donald's feet were starting to cramp too soon. There were dozens of shops in this mall, and he knew that Mickey, Goofy, and Daisy would visit two-third of them. This was going to be a long day.

Meanwhile, the hot spot that housed all of Disney's finest was seeing crowds as well. Many characters took the time from their busy schedules from home to come to Toontown for the beginning of the Christmas season at the one and only House of Mouse. The penguins and broomsticks were placing the decorations around the club, wreaths and lights strewn in all corners. The mouse himself was shopping at this hour, but the characters still hung out at their tables chatting and conversing. However, a large group of the younger ones met in the back of the club to go over their Christmas lists.

"Gee, how will Santa know what we want if we keep the list and not send it up to the North Pole?" asked Pinocchio.

"I think he knows everything we want," replied Wendy's little brother, Michael.

"Well, he does watch us all year," said Penny.

"But would he know exactly?" questioned Arthur.

All of the kids were positively confused, but it was soon dropped when Mickey and gang appeared to cheers and applause. They played Christmas-themed cartoons for the evening, with Donald's absence barely noticed.

The next day, Mickey and his pals began their anticipated period of decorating their houses, except for Donald of course. He sat at his chair when Hewey, Dewey, and Louie packed in a large box of his most despised and loathed Christmas creations, the Christmas Lights.

"Oh no!" he exclaimed in disgust. "Don't make me do that!"

"We're sorry, uncle Donald!" they all said, not looking sorry at all.

The tree was set up easily, but with the lights coiled in a heap at Donald's feet, he knew that it was go time. First, he had to bring the ladder toward the tree. Second, he had to bring the lights up to the tree and start from top to bottom. This was a difficult task because of the tree's prickly limbs sticking in the way of the lights' path. Grumbling and mumbling, he stretched out the lights so they could move along the tree. However, he saw that a pile of the lights down at the base were terribly tangled among each other.

Scowling, Donald stomped back door the ladder and picked up the pile. The lights had wound around each other so tightly that it would take crafty handiwork to get them loose and straight. Donald tried to pull them off each other, but the wires stayed stubbornly locked. Becoming frustrated quickly, he pulled harder and thrashed at the wires to get them off. It was useless, they remained the way they were, uncooperative and terrible. These stupid lights! Now he was going to show them to not mess with Donald Duck.

Donald fell into a quacking rage, rolling over the floor and swinging those lights like a whip. Soon the lights coiled around him, and when he settled down he found himself strewn with lights. Hewey, Dewey, and Louie giggled before they plugged in the lights. Now Donald was a multicolored duck of Christmas.

"Cut that out, boys!" he quacked.

Squeezing out of the lights' grip, he dragged them up the ladder. He took the start of the line and made it snake its way down the tree. Although he had to tuck in at places, he managed to pull it off in the end. Satisfied, he got off the ladder and let the little nephews plug it in.

The tree lighted up spectacularly, and they were all equally happy at its beautiful glow. Donald was quite proud of his work until he saw the lone light on the tree's front flickering. Staring at it, he witnessed the light flick off in a flash.

"Aw, phooey!" he mumbled in disappointment.

Maybe a little tweaking should do the trick. So Donald tried fiddling with the little light. Suddenly, all of the other lights started flickering and going off as well. Donald hanged his bill and the nephews darted off in just as quickly as a flash.

"When one goes out, they all go out!" he cried.

A series of furious quacks and gibberish was heard from outside on the street. Several people poked their head outside, but most of them knew it was just Donald losing his temper. No one noticed that a raven sat on a snow covered tree at his house.

This raven flew away over the houses of the neighborhood toward Mickey's old rival, Pete. It cawed over him as he swooped over. Pete was busy counting all the money he had gotten from his Christmas tree business at the time, but he swiftly changed his activity to jumping into his car.

"She wants me!" he said, driving down the road to his intended destination.

Following the raven, Pete was led to an old mansion not occupied in many years. It was large and old, with gray walls and large front windows that were completely closed. Snow gave it a white, thick mustache and a lonely atmosphere devoid of sprit and fun settled around it. Pete passed its gate and parked at the lot. He came up to the door, where a butler with a large bald spot on his head and a tuxedo was revealed when it opened.

"Ah, welcome Pete," Edgar greeted. "The mistress is waiting."

The mansion's interior was even more dark and lonely. Depressing colors and cold emptiness was all around Pete. Walking to the large doors farther down the hall, Pete and Edgar came up to them and Edgar creaked it open for Pete to enter.

"Pete is here, mistress," he told the person.

The room Pete entered was a large study filled with red light. A large fire hissed at the fireplace, menacing and aggressive compared to Donald's cozy fireplace. A large table was spread over the room, and a large armchair was currently being used as a throne for its villainous occupant, someone who, instead of loving Christmas as everyone else, hated it.

"Christmas," she hissed. "I say Bah humbug!"

The armchair turned to Pete, revealing Maleficent the evil fairy. She kept the windows shut so the Christmas sprit would never fill her with the happiness and love that she was divided from. And for being a villain, it was more than expected that she would not.

"Christmas is preposterous Pete," she told him. "That fat old fool Santa Claus would never give any gifts to the likes of us!"

"I wished Santa Claus gave me a new coat!" snapped Cruella De Vil. "But he never listened to me for years! Why, when I and Anita were school mates, she would get everything her little heart desired. But not me! I was naughty every year! I was perfectly wretched as a little girl!"

"I want a new, shiny lamp," Jafar added. Maleficent scoffed as more of the villains expressed desires that were never received.

"We were never meant to have presents and all of that nonsense," she told everyone. "I have to deal with this foolishness every year. In fact, this is the time of year when my power is at its weakest."

"So how would you carry out your plan?" Jafar asked.

"It does not require much effort," she replied. "All we shall do is destroy Christmas for everyone! Ha! Ha!"

While trouble was brewing at the mansion, Donald had just settled down at his armchair in a bitter mood. He had just gone through rough work on the tree, and that hot chocolate would be very helpful right about now. Daisy soon returned from her Christmas shopping and saw him in his state.

"Donald," she said, "Are you OK?"

"Fine," he muttered. "I just don't like all this Christmas craziness!"

"Oh, Donald," she said. "Do we have to do this every year? You know deep down in your heart that you love Christmas just like the rest of us. What do you wish for this season?"

"I wish I could have a nice, warm, _quiet_, Christmas!" he replied.

Daisy wondered if that was any different than the simple routine he was doing this minute and left Donald at his chair with little results. Well, he would have to get into the mood soon, he always did every year. How would he appreciate the holidays this year?

At Minnie's house in another part of Toontown, she was helping care for Figaro the kitten. His original owner, Geppeto the Puppeteer, had mysteriously disappeared last night at House of Mouse. The kitten seemed annoyed that he would just disappear like that, but everyone believed that it was for a special reason. Whatever it was, Minnie hoped he would return soon, for he was a nice, old man who loved Christmas just as much as everyone. He would need to be at the House at some part to join the celebrations.

"Don't worry Figaro," Minnie told the concerned kitten. "He's not in any danger or anything."

The kitten hoped so, for he was mewing uncomfortably and brushing against her for comfort. Mickey was knocking at the door, and Minnie opened it for him to enter.

"Is he doin' alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, he's just lonely," she replied.

"Poor little fella," said Mickey, stroking Figaro. "He'll be back, just wait and see!"

The characters at House of Mouse were even more so confused and concerned. It was assumed that Jiminy Cricket knew what happened to Geppeto, but he told Mickey that he was as stumped about it as him.

"But I can tell ya one thing," he added. "I bet it has something to do with Santa Claus!"

"Well, he does love to make toys," said Mickey. "Wouldn't he leave a note?"

It was a confusing problem, but it was taken to a higher level when Pinocchio was reported missing as well. The report said he disappeared at the same time as Geppeto. Now Mickey Mouse was worried.

"It's already the beginning days of the season and there's a situation like this!" Mickey told Minnie frightfully.

"Mickey, please don't be too worried," she told him.

"Oh, if the villains are behind this, why I'll…" Mickey warned.

"No Mickey, they're just as clueless as we are!" Minnie interrupted. "Why would they still be here?"

Once again, Donald Duck didn't go to the House that night. He sat on his usual chair, watching the peaceful snow slowly drift to the white ground. The whole sky was dark blue and the only noise that could be heard was the crackling of the fireplace. Earlier, he heard something about Geppeto missing, but given how peaceful the whole world seemed at that moment, and how snug he was in the bath robe's warmth, he was perfectly content to stay there. His trance was then disturbed by knocks at the door. Great, now his relaxation was in trouble. Maybe if it was only Mickey or Goofy, he would be fine. When he regretfully got up and opened the door however, he saw completely different characters. Wendy, John, and Michael stood in front of Alice, Arthur, and Mowgil, and Penny, Jenny, and Cody were in the far back of the bunch.

"May we have your help Donald Duck?" asked Wendy politefully.

He didn't know what to say at first. These were the children of Disney, and rejecting them would be too harsh. But then again, it would be nice to return to that chair.

"What's the problem?" he asked.

"Geppeto and Pinocchio are missing," said Alice. "We are going on a quest to find them."

"Does anybody else know?" Donald questioned. "Kids shouldn't' be running around like this!"

"Then how are we supposed to find them?" asked Mowgil.

What a dilemma he was in. If he helped the kids, then he would probably stop the stress going on with the characters, and less stress is good for everyone. Or maybe he should go to his chair and relax, while no one would be relaxed. Something like that would be selfish. Now that Donald thought about it harder, it would be more satisfying to help the kids than him, and it would work better for all of them. Yes, he was going to help them out.

"Alright, I'll do it!" Donald exclaimed. Thrilled to have Donald's support, they began their quest to find Geppeto and Pinocchio.

"Come on, let's hurry!" said Arthur.

"Who knows, this adventure might become bigger," said Cody.

"I hope not," muttered Donald. He did have a bad feeling that this was going to be a very dramatic journey.

"Just give me a second will ya?" he called to the kids starting to leave. "I'm gonna go get the biggest coat I have!"


	2. Chapter 2 The Children's Season

Chapter 2 The Children's Season

"Wait for me guys!" Donald tried to desperately exclaim.

Since embarking on their journey to find Geppeto and Pinocchio, Donald found it awfully difficult to make it over the large snow banks and through the icy wind. The children were far more willing to brave the winter conditions, and they were so far ahead of the duck that they appeared to be shadows in the distance. The wind blew through Donald's head and bill, restraining him.

"Come on, wait for me!" he pleaded, waddling up another snow bank. His coat, scarf, and hat kept him a little warm, but the thick snow underneath his webbed feet stalled his progress into the frigid environment. If this was a blizzard, he was sure he would be a snowduck by now.

When he finally caught up to the coated children, he saw Hewey, Dewey, and Louie at the base of the hill building snowmen. Making a handy trio, they were busy sculpting their snowmen at quick speeds, rolling so many balls of snow that even the frozen grass was slightly visible for a minute.

"What are you three doing out here?!" Donald snapped.

"Oh, hi Uncle Donald!" they greeted. "What are they doing here?"

"None of your business!" he replied.

Donald tried to stomp down the hill, but he accidentally tripped and was sent down the snow hill quacking in fright. Rolling up into a snow boulder, he crashed into their snowmen and slammed into a nearby fir tree. Stumbling from the crash, he could only see six little ducks until the children came down to see them.

"Would you like to help us find Geppetto?" asked Alice.

"Yeah, I heard about that," said Hewey. "That didn't sound very good."

"The House of Mouse won't be complete without him," added Dewey.

"Wonder why that had to happen?" asked Louie.

Donald shook out of his dizziness and stomped over to the three. These kids that he had to help were a handful enough, but he knew how much of a pain those nephews were going to be. They were little geniuses in the practice of mischief and trouble. How would they know how to find Geppetto?

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Donald pouted.

"Come on Donald, can't they come?" asked Penny.

The children were all giving him that cute look. Donald hated it when kids did that. Now that he was back to his earlier dilemma, he decided to give Hewey, Dewey, and Louie a chance. He would expect them to do something crazy down the road, but maybe it wouldn't be that bad. No, something wild was bound to happen. Why was he thinking so much? He should just go ahead and spit it out.

"OK," he grumbled. "You can come with us."

Hewey, Dewey, and Louie cheered and high-fived one another. Donald sighed, but now that he said the magic words there was no turning back.

Trudging onward through the snow, they passed a large figure and a skinny one with newspapers in front of them. When they went past, the figures lowered their papers to reveal themselves as Pete and Mortimer, staring at them suspiciously.

"Now what are those punks doing?" Pete mumbled.

"Don't ya know Pete? That's Donald!" snapped Mortimer. "They're searchin' for Geppetto!"

"Hmmm, the old puppeteer eh?" said Pete. "In that case, we've gotta stop their little search!"

Donald Duck and the group of children continued to explore the snowy landscape. They passed roads and houses, but they soon saw a wide range of multicolored lights in the far distance. Interested, they approached them farther, seeing more than just a lot of colors. They saw colored lights that were shaped into Santas, reindeer, snowmen, and many other Christmas icons. Donald often liked looking at these kinds of lights, because that meant that he wouldn't have to put up with the annoying maintenance.

The kids were obviously delighted to see the impressive displays before them, but they didn't notice that Pete and Mortimer were hidden among the snow mounds with plenty of snow balls in their hold.

"Lights out kiddies!" exclaimed Pete.

Popping out of their hiding places, Pete and Mortimer tossed snow balls at Donald and the children, catching them off guard. Hewey, Dewey, and Louie immediately used their snow ball fighting senses to get down on the snow and begin making their own ammo. Donald ducked behind a snow mound and stayed there until he made a big enough snow ball to throw them with. Why did Pete want to pick a fight at a time like this?!

Donald appeared from his spot to send Pete a punishing blow, but the nephews were unleashing overwhelming amounts of attacks themselves on the rivals. Volleying snow balls that Donald thought were only appearing from thin air, Pete and Mortimer retreated from the battlegrounds to any safe haven from their stinging shots.

"Yeah!" cheered Hewey. "We sure showed them!"

Maybe they wouldn't be too bad to have after all. Donald came to the nephews in a more thankful manner. Without those three, Donald doubted he would have hit Pete with such force.

"Good job boys!" he complimented.

Suddenly, a boom of instrumental flare erupted from somewhere toward town. Everyone turned to see a long line of floats and people go down the road. The quiet night had become the location of a Christmas parade. Talk about handy, now Donald was about to be in one big distraction fest.

"I didn't see a thing in the paper about a parade!" Donald protested.

"A parade?!" Hewey, Dewey, and Louie exclaimed with cheer.

Before Donald could blink an eye, the boys rushed to the crowds forming at the sidewalk. Growling, he walked to the parade route, irritated to see the other children look excited. Mickey and Goofy would have been more tolerable partners than these kids.

This parade seemed just as festive and lively as before. Floats with waving people and sponsors of the local companies moved down the cold road with marching bands taking the lead. Music and cheers filled the air. Some of the floats even flung candy onto the side of the road, causing kids to run out and collect them. It was so much of a common ocurrence that it was as though the tide of children brushed up on the road to collect the candy and then recede back on the sidewalk. If Donald wanted to contiue his journey, he had to get his boys out of that tide.

Just as Donald painfully expected, it was no easy task. The spectators stayed packed together like frigid ice. All eyes were fixed on the parade, so Donald snuck past the people with their bulky coats and snatched the three before they could run off.

"Aw, come on Uncle Donald!" whimpered Dewey. "Can't we see just a little of the parade?"

"Not a chance!" he quacked. "We've gotta find Geppeto remember?!"

An explosion from the float behind him startled Donald and candy rained down on the sidewalk. Hewey, Dewey, and Louie quickly scampered to the treats and collected them, along with the others in Donald's group. This was unbelieveble. These kids made him go along on their little quest and now they dumped him. Well, Donald was about to show them some payback.

"Fine!" he snapped. "I'm just gonna go find them all by myself! Humph!"

With his head held high with stern defiance, Donald stomped away from the kids' fun. If this was all going to fall on his shoulders, then so be it. Those kids would have been too much of a hassle for him. Better to find Geppetto in his own way than all of theirs.

Donald entered a grocery store, seeing a line of children wait for their visit with Santa. An idea soon came into Donald's head, but it sounded too silly for him. He was too old right now, and Santa would only ask what he would want. Only a palooka would go sit on his lap and ask him for advice.

Shopping around the store for more hot chocolate and cookies, Donald noticed something big and red coming toward him. Turning around, he saw Santa Claus standing there with a joyful smile. The jolly old man of Christmas looked this way when he met anyone, but Donald could tell that he had something special in store for him.

"Ho, ho, ho!" laughed Santa Claus. "Why the bitter look Donald?!"

"It's just... the kids," he mumbled.

"Oh? The kids surely didn't do anything naughty to you, did they?" he said with a concerned smile. "Not even Hewey, Dewey, and Louie?"

"It amazes me why they end up on your nice list every year!" Donald snapped. "Oh...sorry about that."

"It's fine Donald, I know you're having a little trouble on your Christmas sprit," Santa repiled, disappointment heard in his cheery voice.

Feeling bad, Donald knew that his crankiness was going to put peoples' sprits in trouble, especially himself. He knew this Santa Claus was real even though there was always one in every mall or store. Only Santa Claus could feel peoples' feelings from inside. Or maybe not only him, but everyone else. Now Donald felt vulnerable, for suddenly thoughts on what his boys were doing right now bombarded him. Flinching when he imagined Hewey, Dewey, and Louie feeling hurt about his stern departure, Santa came over and gave the duck a firm pat on the shoulder.

"Everything will be just holly and jolly Donald," he told him. "Never forget that this is the time for caring for others."

Donald felt better to see his warm smile, and then the question of Geppetto popped into his head. If anyone knew his whereabouts, it would have to be the big man himself. Now it was time to ask him about the recent mystery.

"Santa, do you know what happend to Geppetto and Pinocchio?" he asked.

Santa chuckled, and looked around as though no one could hear them. That could mean that it was a secret, and maybe it meant that he knew where they could be! It was exciting for Donald, and he eagerly crept up to Santa's mouth to hear what he had to say.

"You know Donald, Geppetto and Pinocchio are doing something very special for me," he whispered. "See, Geppetto is a masterful puppeteer, and as busy as my elves tend to be, it would be wonderful for them to receive some help from another hard worker. He's up at my workshop right now, making the finishing touches to the last toys as I speak. Him and Pinocchio are having a jolly time, believe me!"

So Geppetto was making toys for Santa. That hardly surprised him, for he did spend a bunch of time in his own workshop making his own toys and puppets. That would be a fun experience to go to The North Pole. Now he wanted to know if he would come back for Christmas.

"Would he come back just in time for Christmas?" Donald asked Santa.

"Yes, he will," he repiled. "Don't worry Donald, he's having a good time with us."

Talk about luck. No more journeying for Donald Duck, it was time to head back home and sit on his chair once again. He could feel the warmth of hot chocolate running down his throat as he left the grocery store. The parade had past, and everything seemed back to normal, except for the children.

"Now where did they go?!" he asked the frozen emptiness around him.

A low rumble was heard from up the road. Donald stared at the noise's direction, seeing a faint light slowly becoming brighter and brighter. A horn was blaring from that direction, and the lights shone through the blue air like angry, yellow eyes. The horn became increasingly louder, until to Donald's horror, it was a wild limo speeding in front of him.

He jumped out of its way just as it thundered past like a jet engine. It sceerched to a halt, and backed up toward Donald. It was a red limo with angry headlights and initials on its wheels. The window rolled down in front of Donald, revealing a certain woman in a cream-colored coat and hawkish eyes that cut into Donald like a knife. She was Cruella De Vil. Of all the people he had to run into at a time like this.

"Well, what are you doing on a perfectly wretched night like this?!" she questioned, her lips curling into a wicked smile.

"Where's the kids?!" Donald snapped. "You better not have run over them, you big palooka!"

A series of sputtering and popping of metal followed behind Cruella, and a junky car hunched over to her side. Her henchmen, Jasper and Horace, were clothed in large coats because of the snowy conditions. Jasper peered over at Donald with his yellow, sneaky eyes.

"Where did he go, miss?" he asked Cruella. "We've been searchin' the whole town for that old man Geppetto!"

"Jasper, you idiot!" she barked. "I thought Maleficent told you he was at The North Pole!"

"We were out all day lookin' for him!" he protested. "The cold messed with our heads!"

Upset that they knew where Geppetto was located, Donald noticed that the children were hiding behind a large group of shopping carts.

"Enough!" Cruella snapped. "You two go and get prepared to leave for The North Pole!"

Jasper and Horace drove off into the snowy blue of the night. Cruella turned her attention back on Donald, who was very mad.

"Cheerio, Donald!" she told him. "Next time, try not to stand out in the middle of the road! You could be run over!"

With that, Cruella De Vil took off into the darkness. Great, just when he was getting lucky, the villains plot to do something terrible to Geppetto and ultimately Christmas. Well, now he was about to do something that he knew was going to be harsh, but he had to save the day.

"Kids, we're going to The North Pole!" exclaimed Donald Duck.

Hewey, Dewey, and Louie cheered, and they began to head toward the train station next to town. There was no doubt that Christmas was in trouble for the Disney characters, and Donald was going to make sure that those villains never get the chance to ruin it.

When they reached the train station, the train heading to the Artic was beginning to billow smoke into the sky. Without the train station workers noticing, Donald and the children jumped into one of the boxcars of the train. The horn was sounded, and they were now on their way to the place dreamed of in children's imaginations, The North Pole.

A new thrill was going on with Donald right now, and that was a thrill for adventure. Normally not much of an adventure person, he now knew that if he wanted to be holly and jolly this Christmas, he had to care for the children. Maybe caring for others would make him even more comfortable than trying to comfort himself. It sounded like a pretty good moral, and Donald was willing to do it if there would be great rewards.

The children tried to stay snug and warm, but they couldn't wait to see The North Pole for the first time. The anticipation of what it would look like was thought in all of them, and they would only know for sure until the sight will come upon them. Donald had to admit that he was anxious to see it too.


	3. Chapter 3 Journey to The North

Chapter 3 Journey to The North

This was The Artic. It was all snow and ice, with the occasional mountains and hills disturbing the otherwise frozen landscape. The wind was strong up here, blowing across the snowy plains and brushing away the snow into a white mist. It was definitely cold, but the mood of this land was unbelievably calm and quiet. No animal or vehicle besides the train made much noise, and it was all a very sleepy environment.

Donald watched the view from his and the children's boxcar. It was cold, but the very sight of that brilliant silver snow and ice warmed him with a longing for their true destination. If it weren't for this noisy train, this place would have been completely silent. That sounded good, but just not the cold part. At least it made this old land appreciate the peace and quiet. As far as it looked, The Artic knew no such thing as unrest. The Artic was always perfectly rested and unshaken as its thick ice.

"Are we there yet Uncle Donald?" asked Hewey.

Donald cringed, for he hated that line. Leave it to the kids to spoil a good sightseeing.

"No," he replied bitterly.

"We oughta be there soon!" brought up Dewey.

"Well, I don't see a thing yet," mumbled Donald.

In a place like this, they would be lucky to see out into the dark blue horizon. Even out there, the snow and ice stretched out to a place somewhere out in that blue abyss. Santa's hideout would have to be away from a spot the train could plainly see. That meant that unless they dumped this train, they would be sent away from their destination instead of being taken to it.

"We're gonna have to leave!" Donald exclaimed.

"What?!" the nephews replied in surprise.

The other children groggily woke up from their slumber to see Donald take the plunge out into the Artic world. The cold bit Donald aggressively as soon as he toke the jump, and after a rough landing he was sent rolling down the snow hill. Forming again into a snowball, he uncontrollably sped down the hill and collided with something huge and white. It growled when it got caught in the crash. Donald tried to recover from his dizziness, seeing a giant white mass in front of him.

"Why's the snow so furry looking?" he mumbled.

When the white shape growled again, the dancing sugar plums above Donald's head immediately disappeared like the Artic wind. Donald began to shiver, but not because of the biting cold but the massive polar bear staring down at him with its irritated black eyes. Towering over the duck because of its hind legs, it hunched back down to the ground with a thump and sniffed him with its black nose. Terrified, Donald remained as still as a statue as the polar bear examined him.

"What're you doin' up here in The North Pole Donald?" the polar bear asked.

Donald cried in fright, and tried to hide behind the bear's body.

"You're a talking polar bear!" he exclaimed.

"Well of course I'm a taking polar bear!" he remarked. "You know you shouldn't go down snow hills like that."

Small figures began to appear from the blurry distance, and the children arrived to gape at the polar bear. The bear gave them a smile instead of a growl and then turned to Donald curiously.

"So this is The North Pole huh?" Donald said. "Where's Santa's place then?"

"His workshop is over by those mountains over there," said the Polar Bear, pointing a claw at a range of mountains shrouded by the winter clouds.

"Those look too far away on foot!" Donald complained.

"Could you just take us?" asked Mowgil. He looked bizarre and different in a fur coat, and Donald could completely understand how awkward he felt in it.

"Well, I can run decent, but there's no guarantee that I'll keep my speed!" replied the Polar Bear.

The mountains did look far away. A huge expanse of snow divided them from the home of the jolly man like a white desert. The only difference was that it was freezing cold instead of scorching hot, although there were gushes of wind blowing across it similar to desert winds. The temperature would barely matter though, because to Donald it meant a bunch of walking, and fatigue and foot cramp was a given for both environments. Maybe he should have brought another scarf so he could wear it like a turban.

A clattering of bells was soon heard, and everyone stared around alarmingly until they caught sight of golden sparkles coming from inside John's top hat like dust. He removed it to reveal a distraught Tinker Bell, fluttering around the air with great agitation over all the cold. Her chatter was like an obnoxious kid losing her cool on a jingle bell. It irritated Donald more than the blowing freeze.

"Pipe down Tinker Bell!" Donald demanded.

"Why, I thought that was Santa's sleigh for a minute there!" said the Polar Bear.

Tinker Bell finally piped down, but still gave a distraught look at her surroundings. No way would she tolerate this winter wonderland. She had taken just a little nap in John's hat and woke up from the rude winds tugging at her wings. Now she had a grumpy duck glaring at her like she had rudely interrupted his expedition.

"Perhaps we can use her pixie dust," suggested Wendy.

Donald, trying to think in this weather, realized what she was trying to suggest. But doing it in these kinds of conditions would prove dumb to him. This wind and lashing cold would ruffle his feathers and chill him worse than any horror movie. And didn't flying with pixie dust require good thoughts? Good luck with that, for they could thank the cold for keeping him occupied with the opposite.

"Yeah right!" he snapped.

"Well, it looks pretty obvious your chances for flight are a penguin's dream with that kind of attitude!" the Polar Bear said.

What was the big idea? Now this polar bear was acting just like Daisy, and his country accent was something only a palooka could possess. How could Donald survive this bunch any longer? The cold alone would be the formidable enemy to his base, but with a bunch of uncooperative buddies hanging around you, you might as well defend your own base. Not that these kids were being that big of a pain, but the polar bear was getting on his nerves. Maybe he should use that pixie dust so he could escape that palooka before he turned him into a one of those bear rugs. Then he could have bragging rights for Cruella.

"Give me the pixie dust!" requested Donald.

Wendy toke a handful of Tinker Bell's pixie dust and carefully sprinkled it on Donald's head. The gold dust settled on his head like any dust and made him sneeze, but he did admit he felt somewhat better. Maybe it was like that delicious candy cane he ate just before he embarked on this quest. Ah, now that was peppermint at its finest. He toke pleasure in sucking that candy cane, and he brushed it in and out of his bill like a toothbrush. Then he would keep it stuck in his bill like a thermometer, and once it was as white as a bone, he would go over to his revered chair and have that delicious cup of hot chocolate he loved so much. Wait, was it just him, or did he seem to meditate above a group of astonished children. Even that polar bear was impressed.

"I'm floating!" he exclaimed.

He tried to swoop up straight into the air. Now that was cool. He could now go in any direction with any desire he could have. He didn't remember Goofy or even Mickey doing this before. The kids stared at him in wonderment, obviously wanting to join him.

"He can fly! He can fly! He can fly!" they cheered.

Yes, he can fly, but that wind was turning even nastier up here in the air. The snowflakes began to stick to his coat and the wind brushed chilled him to the tip of his little tail. Cold and wet, the wind even tried to carry him around in all directions. How annoying. That wind was really getting on his nerves, and he reverted back to his bitter look on the Artic. Suddenly, he began to quack up a storm when he started to drop like a rock to the silver ground below. Think good thoughts! He didn't want to be squashed in all of that thick snow and lose his one ticket to Santa's workshop.

"Come on Uncle Donald!" cried Hewey. "Think of a nice cup of hot chocolate!"

Say, that would sound good right now. A cup of that stuff would warm him up within seconds. These pesky snowflakes would all melt and the wind would be kept away from the hot, delicious substance of creamy chocolate. When it wasn't too hot, he would have it pour down his bill and the warmth would flood his body like a nice, hot bath. Oh, there we go. The soothing hot chocolate would run down his throat and fill his stomach with a treat not to forget soon. Thinking these kinds of thoughts, he didn't realize that he was sailing elegantly across the white desert with little effort. The children caught up to him with their pixie dust.

And so they soared over the Artic, taking to the skies like a flock of birds migrating to the place they always felt familiar to visit. Everything was sliver and gray below them, and snowflakes sprinkled on them as they flew. Yet they hardly saw it all, because they were in the best sleep they had in a long time. They used the calm power of their pleasant thoughts to guide them to Santa's Workshop.

"What's that light?" Donald muttered, opening an eye.

There, shining like a golden dome in the middle of a silver void laid Santa's Workshop. The blizzard could hardly obscure the brilliance of it, and once they came close enough to see it, it blew them away more than that persistent wind. Elves scampered around the workshop, obviously busy with the duties they had to perform for the Christmas Eve flight. Small houses and decorations were all right there among the premises, and they came upon it in very short time. The elves were surprised to see children finally discovering The North Pole, but they were just as taken aback when they saw Donald Duck.

"How did they get here?!" one of them exclaimed in shock.

Now that they found themselves in Santa's Workshop, they couldn't help but stare around at all of the elves surrounding them. Small and cute, they were just as curious about the visitors as the visitors were about them. Donald soon grew tired with the staring and came up to one of them.

"Where's Santa Claus?" he asked them.

"Well Donald, I'm glad you came up here so quick!" remarked someone.

Instantly recognizable, Donald turned around to see Santa Claus standing a few feet away with his usual warm smile. He had just come out of the nearest house when they arrived, and Donald could not help but notice some movement in the house he left.

"Welcome to my workshop!" he greeted warmly. "I see you brought some of your kids too."

"Hello Santa Claus!" they all greeted.

"Where's Geppetto?" Donald asked.

"He's just in that house over there," he replied, gesturing to the house behind him.

They went to the house and opened it to see the old puppeteer himself busy working on the finishing touches on the toys. Pinocchio was playing with some of the other elves, and once they caught sight of who entered, they all stopped at once.

"Why, is that you Donald Duck?!" said Geppetto in surprise.

"Boy am I glad to see you!" Donald exclaimed in relief. "I know you're having fun on your toys, but we've got a problem."

"And what might that be?" he replied.

"Well, it's them," he mumbled.

There was no more time to explain more, for a panicking elf was speeding out of Santa's castle in lighting speed. He carried a black letter in his small hand with a peculiar emblem on it. Santa looked at him with concern as the elf sped toward him.

"Santa, we're in big trouble!" the elf gasped.

"What's the matter Tingle?" he asked.

"The naughty list… it's missing!" he cried in panic.

The other elves gasped, and the big man looked very afraid. Donald and the children came back out with Geppetto and Pinocchio to see what was happening. Tingle handed Santa the black letter, and Santa began reading with dread. Seeing that on Santa's face was disturbing.

_Dear Santa Claus_

_Tonight your little Christmas cheer will soon be gone. We have taken your naughty list and switched it with the nice list. Now that we have possession of your dear lists, you will have no choice but to reward us and give the coal to all the others. And should you dare resist, we will strike your workshop and run it ourselves, thus turning it into our workshop. Or perhaps we should just let you continue on your merry away, and never return at all? We can make a terrible blizzard to force you off your path and no one shall get anything at all. So you have no choice. Heed our demands and give us our gifts, or all the children will have to settle with something worse than coal. You know how I am when I don't get what I want._

_Maleficent_

_P.S. I shall never forgive you for giving me not just coal, but a knitting case. Poor taste my fat old man._

Santa Claus hanged his jaw as he read the letter. So they wanted to mess with him eh? He should have seen that coming years ago. Well, ole Kris Kringle was going to show those naughty villains to not mess with the big man.

"I'm not ever going to reward naughty behavior!" Santa told everyone.

"But what are we going to do Santa?!" exclaimed Tingle.

"Well, I suggest we fight!" he said. "No more St. Nicholas! We must defend the children's' toys at all costs!"

"I'm with you Santa!" declared Donald Duck.

The other children made their support as well. The Battle for Christmas had begun.


	4. Chapter 4 The Battle for Christmas

Chapter 4 The Battle for Christmas

There was tension in the air that night. Christmas was still away, but if Santa Claus didn't act in time, the villains would strike when they were least expected. And so the elves constructed tricky traps and powerful weapons to fight them with. They ranged from clever trapdoors, ropes of Christmas lights, over-sized candy canes, and even spoiled eggnog. The elves would be wielded with snowballs, snowball guns, candy cane swords, hardened ginger bread men, and a special group of combat toys.

Donald Duck and the children offered their full support to all of their efforts. They planned to use their pixie dust to fight the bad guys from above, and Donald wanted a piece of Pete should he be among them. What would be more annoying to the villains than an army of elves? This might just be fun. Now he was about to allow Hewey, Dewey, and Louie to cause all the mischief they could make on the villains.

"OK boys!" he told them. "Take no mercy on those naughty palookas!"

"Sure can do, Uncle Donald!" they exclaimed.

Sprits were so high that they felt not even the villains' dark magic could make much trouble. So when they made their defenses and weaponry, they sat back and waited for the enemy to arrive, and it didn't take a whole lot of time at all.

Outside the workshop, the winter weather had calmed considerably and the snow drifted the ground with elegant grace. Suddenly, the wind started to ramp up to a horrible screeching and a blaze of green flame burned the spot where the evil fairy Maleficent appeared. A snug look of triumph on her green face, her yellow eyes scanned the workshop for any lingering elves. Little fools, no one can dare challenge the mistress of all evil, and naughtiness! Should they try to do so, they would burn their toys, and then the ashes would accompany the coal for the brats of the world. Santa Claus will soon pay for all of those years of nothing for specialty. Not being invited to a party was atrocious, but not getting a present? Blasphemy!

Seconds after she appeared, a limo was honking far out in the blue landscape and came screeching at the workshop's gate. This was Cruella De Vil of course, who got out of her car and gazed at the workshop with eyes that would break through binoculars. It was needless to say that she was eager for trouble as well. Other evil-doers arrived from the darkness, looks of malice on all of them. It made no difference if this was the Christmas season; every day was a job for villains.

Safely hidden at the windows, the elves looked down and spotted seven of them altogether. They advanced to the workshop gates and blasted them open, sending a flurry of snow whipping at the front of the building. Jafar looked very displeased with being in an environment opposite his own, and Captain Hook had such a devious toothy grin that it only meant he was looking forward to cracking some toys. Shortly after they entered the workshop they will learn that this place could very well be mischievous too if it had to be.

Madame Mim, the wily witch that gave Merlin and Arthur trouble, was bouncing with joy over all the mayhem she would cause. However, that pleasure was short-lived when she quickly disappeared into the blackness beneath the wooden floor because of a crafty trapdoor. It happened so fast and sudden that the others never heard her quick scream or the trapdoor's creaking, and they cared less. All they were focused on was the destruction of Santa's workshop. The only question was where to go. Perhaps they should go mess with the stuffed animals.

"Quick everyone, let's get them before they burn up the teddy bears!" whispered one of the elves.

They quietly snuck to the massive toy piles waiting for the day Santa would pack them on his sleigh. Maleficent brought out her staff to set them on fire, but she never got out a flicker. The elves cried out in all of their wild cuteness and volleyed her with hardened ginger bread men. The blasted cookies felt like rocks on her black robes.

"Fools!" she cried. "You _are _going to fight back!"

Pete and Edgar fearfully ducked from the hard cookies and Jafar tried to smack them back with his cobra staff. Captain Hook merely used his hook for catching them. The elves found green fire being flung at them, and so they dodged the shots until they were backed up by elves with snowball guns. They looked childish, but they were specially designed to keep the snowball inside cold until the knob inside the barrel projected it out toward the attacker.

It was when they showed up that the tide switched to them. The green flames were doused out, and the villains that tried to resist were now covered in white. Growling, Jafar and Hook retreated to other parts of the workshop and Maleficent tried in vain to get across to them in their attacks. Captain Hook stopped in what appeared to be a room with a fireplace. A cup of eggnog was sitting at a table next to the fireplace lodge. Enticed, he remembered his days of lounging around his ship and went over for a little drink.

That was a big mistake. He spitted that out like it was sour lemon candy, and he began to sputter his tongue and make such funny faces that if the others saw him he would definitely be down there with Alameda Slim in the villain latter. The thought of his teeth getting a cavity from that was degrading. Smee would have to get some kind of advanced toothpaste for sure.

Meanwhile, Jafar tripped over a giant candy cane cleverly spread over the hallway. Only his staff stopped him from hitting the wooden floor face first. Mumbling angrily under his breath, he hastily retreated to the elf cottages outside. From there, he fell directly into the elves' most brutal trap that was a face-full of snowballs from hundreds of elves.

Pummeled and beaten to insurmountable blows of freezing snow, he yelled and cried with such vile and venom that the elves decided to stay half a football field away from the cranky vizier. His egg-shaped hat was beaten back, revealing his baldness, and when he blindly put on the hat he pulled out a glass of red liquid and broke it in front of him, shrouding the air with red smoke. When it cleared, they found him gone.

Captain Hook, still sputtering and spitting, rushed out into the cold and then retreated back inside when the elves threw snowballs at him. When he came back inside, he slipped on the snow that stuck to his boots and was sent sliding down the hallway screaming. He crashed loudly into a pile of presents, and when he looked up to see the pile titter back and forth, he tired in vain to scramble away but was caught in a collapse of solid coal.

"Me head! It hurts!" he cried out.

Now becoming furious, he broke free from the coal and stomped out with difficulty. Then when he tried to head toward the workshop where Maleficent's standoff still raged on, he stepped on a stray piece of coal and fell flat on his back spread-eagled.

Outside, Donald Duck spotted Pete roaming around the elves' village, and he urged Hewey, Dewey, and Louie to follow him. Prowling toward him like a pack of lions, Donald and the nephews formed many snowballs to load in their arms, and they made sure they all will meet their mark. It looked as though Pete was trying to search for something, but when he stopped at a lamppost, Donald stopped at a snow bank with the other three.

"I'll get him first!" said Donald.

He scanned the throwing range to make sure no one would interfere, and then he swung with all his might at the big hunk at the lamppost that was Pete. Unfortunately, it didn't hit on him but at his feet, and he jumped up in the air in alert when it came near.

"Who's there?!" he called out.

Donald growled in disappointment, but Hewey only shrugged and got his snowball out.

"Here's how it's done, Uncle Donald," he told him.

With no hesitation, he flung his snowball toward Pete and smacked him exactly on the head. Pete shook the snow off and growled with contempt. He crouched down to form his own snowball, but Dewey suddenly struck him in the back. Confused, he got a blow in the face when Louie threw his just when he raised his head. When he stood up straight, he got hit in the stomach, and when he crouched down to feel his injured belly, he got hit in the head again. It seemed that every time Pete made a move, it was followed by a snowball. It got to be so overwhelming that he simply dropped to the snow and surrendered.

"Well done, boys!" Donald congratulated them. "Now I've gotta teach him a lesson!"

He approached Pete with his head held high and a triumphant smirk on his face. Pete only stared at the snow with fury, and would have jumped to his feet and strangled him if it wasn't for Donald shoving a fist full of snow down his pants and into his rump. His face contorted with uncomfort, Pete began to jump up and down in the air making ridiculous noises and he hopped away into the village. Donald turned to Hewey, Dewey, and Louie and gave each a high five.

Underneath the trapdoor that Madame Mim dropped into laid a chamber of special toys. The little witch stared at them with her strange eyes, hoping to scratch and tear some of them.

"Look at these things!" she hissed. "They're too cute and cuddly!"

She was about to turn a teddy bear to dust when it suddenly came to life. Surprised, she witnessed the teddy bear stare at her with its beady eyes. Suddenly, the teddy bear formed an aggressive head sewn with a red mouth and jaws and its eyes became red and bloodshot. It let loose a furious roar that tore out of the fake mouth and made it real. Mim was hardly frightened.

"Now that's more like it!" she cackled with satisfaction.

She didn't realize the real danger however, as the teddy bear advanced toward her with a dozen just-as-scary toys behind. It was not the toys that startled the witch but the sight of Arthur among them, quickly turning them on so they could fight her.

"What?!" she shrieked. "What's Merlin's boy doing up here?!"

"To help save Christmas!" he replied.

"Humph! You think you can save the most wonderful time of the year?! I'll have to destroy you!" she exclaimed.

Transforming into a purple crocodile, she jumped toward Arthur. Before her jaws could snap on the boy, the teddy bear swelled bigger and tackled her in mid-air. Sprawling on the floor, she tore up the fighting teddy bear and approached Arthur menacingly. He grabbed a nearby sword and pointed it at her.

"I'm not afraid of you," he tried to say.

"Then give me your worst shot!" she replied.

Mustering up courage, he jabbed the blade on the pink crocodile, but she was not hurt at all. The sword turned out to be simply a toy. Embarrassed, Arthur shied away as Mim cackled.

"That was a good hit!" she said. She often had a bad habit of saying one thing when she meant another, not so much the sarcasm.

The combat toys surrounded the witch, and this time she stared around uneasily. Toy soldiers and moving blocks came very close to striking range, and more ferocious teddy bears showed up.

"Get away! Get away from me!" she blurted.

Mim turned into a purple rhinoceros and began trampling the toys. Her horn sliced through three teddy bears and her feet crushed the toy soldiers before they could fire. The transformed witch made so much noise that Captain Hook, running around half-dazed, could hear it from upstairs. He noticed the open trapdoor and poked his head in to see a purple rhino with furious eyes destroying the combat toys.

Mim brushed her foot against the floor and then charged at a giant stuffed polar bear, going right through it and into the wall, shaking everything so violently that Hook was sent dropping into the scene of the battle. Arthur safely retreated from the toy carnage just as Hook looked in the direction of the closed door.

"What's going on here?!" he demanded.

Without much time to spare, the combat toys took a hold on the pirate captain and tossed him over their heads with incredible strength. He bonked his head against the wooden wall and was dazed temporally with his flattened hat. Mim discovered his presence and rushed over to him, taking out a couple of knights with candy cane swords.

"Hop on board, Hook!" she cried.

He gladly accepted the invitation, and Mim crashed through the doorway and out into the elf village. Upset with the cold, Mim transformed into a musk ox and stopped at the center of a snow field.

"Where's everybody at?!" she complained. "I need to show them to not mess with the marvelous Madame Mim!"

A whole barrage of snowballs soon followed her statement. She shrieked in surprise, reeling up on her hairy legs and bringing Hook onto the snow below. Struggling to get up, he saw a single snowball come dropping down from the sky, and he barely dodged it with a turn of the head. There was a chuckle of laughter, and Hook suddenly had a horrible realization.

"Pan?!" he exclaimed. "Of all the worst times…"

Sure enough, Peter Pan appeared from the silver clouds, and the lost boys and Darling children came out of the nearby snow banks laughing at their ultimate enemy. Apparently the Darling children contacted help with Pan to help them. A surge of anger coursed through Captain Hook and he instantly got up on his feet and tried to form his own snowball.

"I'll get you if it's the last thing I do, Pan!" he vowed.

Peter Pan swooped above Hook and sent a line of snowballs upon him. He tried to fling one back, but it was too slow. Curving around the end of the field to rain down more ammo like a bomber plane, Hook jumped out of the way as the attacks came. The Lost Boys fired theirs from the ground, and so Hook was painfully outnumbered. He tried to swipe the air with his sword, but the snow distracted him every time.

"Give it up, Hook!" Peter Pan called. "Give Christmas a chance!"

Donald and the nephews returned to the village to see Madame Mim trying to run down the elves in her musk ox form. Donald puffed and took off the scarf from his neck.

"Stand back boys!" he told the others. "I have a musk ox to provoke!"

Giving her a whistle, Mim turned to see Donald holding the scarf at his side like a Spanish bull-fighter. She wasn't a bull, much less a domesticated bovine, but she still had a wild instinct to charge at the scarf. Brushing her foot against the snow, she charged at the scarf with her eyes all ablaze. When she was almost about to hit him, he swung the scarf up and Mim found a lamppost in her way. There was a loud crash and everyone turned to see her head on the now awkwardly angled lamppost, heavily dizzy.

"Nice job, Uncle Donald!" Hewey, Dewey, and Louie cheered.

Mim turned back into an old witch, and found out with terror that her tongue was out and stuck on the metal lamppost. She madly tried to shake and pull, but it stayed there.

"Two down, six to go!" exclaimed Dewey.

Back at Hook's situation, he was continuing to be pounded until the winds began to pick up. The captain was left at the winds' mercy, and when things started to look very bad, it became worse when Hook was at the top of a snow hill and he was pushed into a sled. The added weight forced him down into the silver abyss below, and he was gone.

Meanwhile in the battle with Maleficent, the elves held their own against the evil fairy's onslaught. The combat toys had found their way to the battle ground and fought alongside the elves. Maleficent showed no signs of weariness even despite nonstop spell-casting. Jafar and Edgar were at her side, the vizier using his potions to create a wall of flame in front of the elves and Edgar tried to attack the combat toys with a rake. No side had made much progress until something happened on the ceiling.

"Get me out of here!" cried Cruella De Vil.

A trapdoor on the roof opened up and Cruella was brought down tangled in Christmas lights. Swinging over them like a pendulum, she tried to yell at her colleagues to get their attention but the battle was just too wild. However, another sight really did stop everything.

A large shape was spotted at the top of the workshop chamber, and the wall of flame ceased when the villains saw him stand up there. It was Santa Claus himself. He was armed with a handsome candy cane sword, and he brought it out of his scabbard when he saw Maleficent stare at him coldly. The elves began to cheer with delight.

"Let's jingle all the way, Maleficent!" he exclaimed.

Executing strange feats for a fat man such as him, Santa jumped down to the evil fairy and sparred with her using his candy cane sword. The line of Christmas lights holding Cruella were let loose, sending the diva down in the middle of the room with a smack.

Cody, Penny, and Jenny appeared to see the fight, and were shocked to see Santa fighting Maleficent. They then saw Cruella standing up from her fall with eyes red with fury. Before she could pounce on Santa, they rushed to Cruella and tangled her up in the lights by holding the line and spinning all around her.

"What are you little brutes doing?! Stop that!" she barked.

But the rest of her drivel was mumbled when the lights put her in a cocoon. The elves then seized her and paraded the devil woman around to the Christmas tree in the corner. A stray elf at the control room witnessed what they were doing, and made a mischievous smirk. A crane appeared, and latched onto the end of the line of Christmas tree lights. In remarkable speed, the crane spun the cocoon of lights around so fast that the tree was now decorated with all of the lights on its branches in mere minutes. Cruella was now the next villain to become insanely dizzy, and what a sight it was to see her eyes flash circles.

"Thanks for finding our lights, mam!" thanked one of the elves.

She hardly cared to hear it though, for she stumbled herself into a large stocking.

"My, what a great stocking stuffer!" said another elf. And then they heard barfing.

"Oh, never mind," the elf quickly added.

The same elf was instantly grasped by Jafar, and he was turned around into his staff's red eyes.

"You will give me my lamp from Santa's list," he hissed.

"I will give you your lamp from Santa's list…" the elf mumbled. "I will…but you're so old!"

"The lamp from Santa's list will be mine!" he replied, focusing on his staff harder.

"Oh no you don't!" quacked someone.

Donald Duck stomped up to Jafar and swiped his staff from him. He then brought down the staff on the floor, bursting the eyes into red dust.

"No!" he yelled. "Do you realize how much I had to pay for that at the bazaar?!"

"Gee, where have we seen that before?" asked Iago, who just returned from the packaging.

"Whoa, I thought sugar plums were dancing all around me," mumbled the elf.

Donald looked around the workshop for Maleficent and Santa Claus, but they were nowhere to be seen. So the brave duck ran off to search for the two, and sure enough they were fighting up at the cellar.

"Your pathetic attempts to oppose me will be futile, Santa Claus!" Maleficent exclaimed.

"Oh really Maleficent?" he replied. "You shouldn't underestimate the power of Christmas you know."

Donald stared at the fight going on in front of him, and something in him changed. Before he thought this was a matter of good vs. evil, but now he saw this as an unnecessary quarrel on what was supposed to be the Christmas season. When he wandered around the mall, he saw signs of "Peace on Earth" and bell-ringers helping raise money to the poor. It was kind of silly that Santa Claus should be fighting like this when he was supposed to be a symbol of happiness and love. Now he felt bad for what he did earlier. Sure, the villains were bad, but would it be worth it to fight them? Was that supposed to help peace on Earth?

"Stop it!" he exclaimed. "Stop it, both of ya!"

They stopped, and Santa was surprised to see Donald stand there bitterly.

"What's with you, Santa?" he asked him. "Here we are in the Christmas season and you're fighting and carrying on with Maleficent! She's evil and all that, but come on! Can we get along for just one day?!"

It was silent for a moment, and Santa began to look quite sad. Maleficent seemed to be hardly moved though.

"Yes, you're right Donald," he said in embarrassment. "I did get a little carried away."

"What is the meaning of this?" Maleficent asked. "I have no time for foolishness."

"Maleficent," said Donald. "Wouldn't it be nice if you had a present or two?"

"Donald!" Santa blurted. "She's naughty! I can't give her a present!"

"Why not, Santa?" he replied. "Sure, she's evil and she takes pride in that, but this is Christmas we're talking about here. If we give her a present, it won't be because we're awarding her naughtiness or giving in to her, we're just being kind."

He went over to a bag of what appeared to be one for discarded toys for naughty kids, and saw that one of the presents was for Maleficent. He picked it up, and did the unthinkable. He went to the evil fairy, the mistress of all evil, and gave her a present.

"Merry Christmas!" he said.

It was hard to tell if she was more shocked than Santa or Donald himself, but there was no doubt that she was taken off guard. Most of her wanted to reject the present outright, but perhaps she should take a peak. Inside the present laid an invitation to the House of Mouse Christmas Party. It was originally meant to be just for those that were nice.

"Well," she said, neither pleasantly nor with revolt, "This is most unexpected."

"You can say that again," mumbled Santa, although he was smiling.

"And there's presents and invitations for everyone else here too," said Donald, rummaging through the sack.

"Hmmm, you are a very peculiar duck," she told Donald without emotion. Even if it wasn't thanking, it was better than rejection, and that was all that mattered.

And so Santa and Donald brought the sack down to the workshop, and when they brought in a shaken Madame Mim, Captain Hook, and Pete, they opened their presents and felt just swell. Jafar got a new, shinier cobra staff, and Donald even apologized to him for smashing his old one, but the sorcerer was too delighted with his new one to care anymore.

Captain Hook got a new sword, Madame Mim a cookbook of disgusting recipes she loved, Pete a yo-yo, Edgar a package of wine, and Cruella a fur cleaning kit that she was going to use right away. It was strange to watch them open their presents, but it didn't bother Donald. He saw it as an act of kindness, even if it was intended for unkind ones.

"You know Donald," said Santa Claus. "You just helped change my view on the gift of giving."

"What do you mean, Santa?" he asked.

"You not only did something kind for someone, but it was someone you often not like much at all. You did something to brighten up Christmas, Donald Duck. You not only stayed kind with others, but you learned to meet your enemies and wish them a good Christmas as well. Often times you want to stay as far away from them as you can and keep the hostility going. However, when you did that, you just made things a little better. They'll probably forget about it later, but for now, this moment, you just improved their outlook on the holiday they usually hated. If not for you act of kindness, they would have continued to hate Christmas and our fighting would have almost spoiled Christmas. Maybe a little compromise or negotiation isn't bad after all. I'm not going to give all the naughty kids presents for now on, but I can at least acknowledge what you did tonight and learn about it for when I meet someone I might not approve of, which is rare for a big guy like me!"

Santa returned Donald, the nephews, the children, Geppetto, and Pinocchio back to Toontown that night. It felt so fun to ride Santa's sleigh that Donald was officially in the Christmas mood for good this year. It took a short time for them to reach the town, and they dropped off at Donald's house.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!" called Santa Claus to the group. And with a burst of reindeer power, he was gone.

"See you at the House tomorrow everybody!" Donald told the others before he went to his house.

"Good night, Donald Duck!" they called to him.

When Donald and Hewey, Dewey, and Louie entered the house, Donald turned to the three with a warm smile.

"And a good night to you too boys," he told them.

"And a good night to you too, Uncle Donald!" they replied.

They rushed up the staircase to their bedroom, and Daisy came around the corner to eye Donald curiously.

"Where have you been, Donald?" she asked.

"Somewhere just holly and jolly, Daisy," he replied. "It's the time for caring for others after all."

With that said, he went up to his bed for a snooze, looking forward to Christmas Day.


	5. Chapter 5 A Merry Christmas

Chapter 5 A Merry Christmas

That was a great night for Donald. He felt as though sugar plums did dance around his head as he slept, for he had such a fleeting, pleasant sleep that when he awoke the next day he was like Uncle Scrooge when he first loved Christmas. Donald hopped out of his room with a big smile, and Daisy saw him hurry to the door.

"He must have drunk too much hot chocolate," she muttered to herself.

Christmas Day was approaching fast, and it seemed that everyday the often cranky Donald kept getting more and more joyful. He played with Hewey, Dewey, and Louie at their snowball fights and ice-skating. Perhaps for one season he should just have fun. Sitting on that chair for most of the day sounded boring to him now. Once this holiday was done and gone, he will easily revert back to his old, grumpy ways, but for now he was to take a break.

It was soon Christmas Eve, and the House of Mouse welcomed the return of Geppetto, Pinocchio, and Donald Duck very warmly. Mickey brought them to the stage, and they were treated to applause and cheers. Geppetto and Pinocchio looked humbled, but Donald looked at the lively crowd as though he was only gone for a minute.

When that was done, he met with the same group of children he traveled with to The North Pole. Of course, they were still held by the previous magic and adventure they witnessed but they were now back to being the normal guests of the House.

"That was a nice little trip, huh?" he asked them.

"It was simply magical," Wendy replied.

"Yeah, the battle was cool and everything, but I didn't think you would end it the way you did, Donald," Cody said.

"I get a little "enlightened" sometimes," he admitted. "But don't you think I'll kiss up to them again after tomorrow!"

The guests of House of Mouse dined on a large Christmas feast with plenty of sweet desserts. Everyone had their share of the food, and once they were about done dining, Mickey Mouse stepped out onto the stage for a special Christmas messenge.

"Well everybody," he said. "I would like to talk about what just happened up at The North Pole several days ago. Now, we all know Donald can be kinda rough on the whole mood of the Christmas season. He likes to just relax, and I don't blame him for that. Maybe we should just settle down a bit. But when Daisy first told about his disappearance one night, I didn't think he was abducted or anything like that. I knew it was for something special. He and the other kids went up there and had to stop the villains' plans with a big fight, but Donald stopped it because Christmas isn't like that. To cut to the chase, he just wanted to have a merry Christmas for everyone, even the naughty ones. Spreading Christmas joy to everyone near shouldn't be limited to some. Who knows, maybe the naughty ones needed it more than everybody. So how about we thank Donald for showing that?"

Everyone in the crowd, the naughty and the nice, applauded the unlikely star of Christmas. He had to blush.

"Look outside everyone!" Jiminy Cricket suddenly exclaimed. "It's the star!"

The ones nearest to the doors and windows looked out to see, and there shining above for all to see was a Christmas star fluttering in the silent sky. The brightness of the star stretched its golden arms across the sky, and it almost looked merry to the eyes of its gazer. Then, with a beautiful dissent, it began to float to the ground like a great golden eagle spreading its great wings.

The most joyous feeling aroused in the spectators as the star brushed them like silk. Its warmth and love radiated throughout the halls and studios of House of Mouse until it entered the grand chamber of the building. Everyone could not help but feel tender and cozy when they saw the orb of light. Ironically, the first characters it encountered were the villains, and they flinched in its presence as though the light would burn their evil hearts. But it simply gave them that same feeling all the others were feeling.

Then the star worked its magic on the decorations. It added luxurious holly and wreaths along the walls and pillars. It sprouted candy canes and ginger bread. It brought luminous lights to every side of the House, and then there was the Christmas tree. It began to wound itself up the tree, leaving a sparkling trail of beauty on each branch and leaf. To conclude it, the star bounced onto the star of the tree and brightened it to the same intensity of its own light. Everyone was in the Christmas sprit now, and they released their joy through caroling.

"Christmas just came, Donald!" Goofy said to Donald.

"Nah, we always had Christmas in each of us," he told him.

The festivities were soon done, and Donald left for home. The stars did seem to be brighter on Christmas Eve. The morning would no doubt be a cheer for all young and old. As Donald tucked into bed and fell asleep, he thought he heard jingle bells, stomping, and a whoosh of wind at some point. Hewey, Dewey, and Louie often tried to stay awake to catch sight of Santa, but sleep always won over.

Morning soon arrived, and it was Hewey, Dewey, and Louie that forced him out of bed. Donald grumbled as the three jumped around him with great cheer, and when his eyes lied on the presents nestled under the tree, he couldn't help but feel a little cheerful too.

The kids were glad to see that they got plenty of toys this year. Cars, planes, and other toys were discovered in the presents. Donald soon found something for him, and he opened it to find something of great use.

"A hot chocolate maker!" exclaimed Daisy. "Why Donald, that must be the best thing since candy canes!"

"Genius," he muttered with love, rubbing the box of the appliance.

The same happiness was found in all other houses in the neighborhood and beyond. Nothing can be more rewarding than a little Christmas sprit. The rush and frenzy could be tiring, but it should not stop anyone from fulfilling their desire for a Merry Christmas. Here's hoping you have a very Merry Christmas as well. If Donald Duck can have one, then so should you.


End file.
